The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-11-19
A NOTED DUELIST.
New York Town Tppics.

Mrs. Clement C. Clay, widow of the noted Alabama senator captured with Jetf Davis, was concerned with the most famous duellist the south ever produced, in the person of Alexander Mcclellan. He was a native of Ken lucky, who for many years was prom inent in politics and society. He was an exquisite in dress and manners, a brilliant speaker and writer of ire- mendous power, possessing tho kcen- est wit and sarcasm. His attacks on the Fam nase;; administration gave him national celebrity.
 1 He killed great many men during his career. As an instance of his dead. Illness, for he always killed the man he fought, may be mentioned his duel with General Allen of Mississippi. He had heard that Allen made some sighting remark about him. After Allen had accepted his challenge, Me Clellan declared that he would shoot out the tongue that made the remark. The duel was fought at 40 paces with rifles, and he literally cut Aliens tongue out as he threatened.
 One instance exhibits his courage. One day he rode up to an inn in a little Mississippi town. While he was dismounting, notorious bully and dcsperado of that country, who had killed many men and was the terror of that region, was on the inside with his revolver cooked and watch ! in his hand. He had ordered tho room cleared in five minutes, and every man had gone, although all were fighting men, When Mcclellan entered the ! bully faced him, and with big oath informed him of the facts, and that there were only three minutes left be- ! fore he should kill whoever remained. McClella without moving a muscle or drawing weapon produced his watch, glanced at 1t and said;
 "My name is Alexander McC Clcllan. give you ten seconds to get out oi here or you are n dead llan."
 The fellow yelled out,
 "By ---, colonel, one half of that time will do," and he was out in two seconds.
 Later on in his career he was haunt d by remorse. Man killing had left its pains. His light was never out in his room at night, and men said he slept moi. " ilen iiie Mexican war broke out he told the Rev. Peter Donan, father of the now only Colonel Peter, that he was weary with lite that he had never found any one who could kill him, and he was going to battle to seek death on the field, as he did not want to commit suicide.
 He entered the service as q volun. teer, and from the first placed himself in the front point of danger, com manding attention for his absolute bravery He was promoted again and again until he reached the head of n regiment, when he was shot through the body. Then he returned home, saying lie couldn't be killed, and haz- arded his fate in several ducls there after. He grew more and more eccen- tric, and thought his opponents abused his confidence by not killing him. Then he met Mrs. Clay, a beau tiful girl of her time.
 | She describes him as the most fas- cinatiDg man to women she ever met, possessing that serpentine power over women which historians and roman cers attribute to Aaron Burr, the sa,ue power that Hattie Ould of Vir- ginia had over men. Mcclellan pro posed marriage to Mrs Clay, but her friends objected on account of his ex- cessive ducling propensitics, and the fear that she would be unhappy with him. She asked him to wait six months before replying and during the interval did not dare to meet him on account of his power over her. In the meanwhile she met Clement C. Clay, and was satisfied that he was her destiny. Shortly after the en- gsgement was announced she got note from Mcclellan, asking for an interview. Being afraid of his spell, and that he might kill her, she de- clined. 1t was only few days later when Mcclellan rode into the then little pine town of Columbus, Missis- sippi. He was shown to room at an inn, the floor of which was irregular like those of all such places. He poured water on the floor and ob- served which way the incline ran. Then dressing himself with the great est care and exquisite neatncss, he lay down with his head inclined with the floor. He placed one hand across his breast, and with the other the mnzzlc of his favorite duclling pistol at the base of the brain, where death is in- stanfaneous.
 He was found there, dead, without a stain of blood on his scrupulously clean, perfectly arrayed person, having realized his superstition at last, that finding no one else who could kill him,